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PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER TED TERRY & RESILIENT DEKALB

Climate change is here.
What story will you tell?

Commissioner Ted Terry and Resilient DeKalb are teaming up to present a Free 2026 Climate Film Festival on Friday, October 23 (6:00 PM – 9:30 PM) and Saturday, October 24 (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM), at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center in recognition of International Day of Climate Action.

The two-day festival will include screenings of two featured films — Golden Globe-winning ‘Groundswell‘ which tells the story of a global movement of regenerative agriculture restoring farms, land and ecosystems, and ‘The Tree Economy‘ by a DeKalb filmmaker which explores the tension between urban development and Atlanta’s massive tree canopy — alongside a selection of short films submitted by Georgia-based filmmakers and creatives.

Bringing together filmmakers, artists, conservationists, educators, community leaders, and neighbors, the event will celebrate the power of film while also confronting difficult topics of climate change, ecological crises, and humanity’s impact on our planet. You will not want to miss film screenings, thought-provoking panels, interactive art experiences, opportunities to meet the artists, connecting with community organizations, and free popcorn!

We hope you can join us as we seek to address the climate-related problems facing us while also instilling hope for a better tomorrow.

Call for Submissions

Georgia-based creatives are invited to submit their short films and short-form video clips for the juried short films portion of the event, held on Saturday afternoon. We are seeking: Documentaries, Narrative film, Student & Youth Media, Community Storytelling & Digital Media (Tik-Tok videos & Reels accepted), and Animated films.
Submission Deadline: September 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET

Featured Films

The Tree Economy

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 AT 7:00 PM
Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center
(3181 Rainbow Dr, Decatur, GA 30034)

Groundswell

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT 1:30 PM
Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center
(3181 Rainbow Dr, Decatur, GA 30034)

Festival Schedule

Friday, October 23
Meet the Artists

6:00 PM Doors Open featuring a Community Reception
6:45 PM Welcome Remarks
7:00 PM 'The Tree Economy' Screening
9:00 PM Closing Remarks
9:30 PM Doors Close

Saturday, October 24
Climate Film Festival

10:00 AM Doors Open featuring Interactive Community Art Experiences & Community Partner Expo
10:30 AM Opening Ceremony
11:00 AM Climate Action in DeKalb County
11:30 AM Georgia Climate Films Showcase
1:00 PM Intermission
1:30 PM 'Groundswell' Screening
3:05 PM Artist Panel Discussion
3:50 PM Closing Remarks
4:00 PM Doors Close
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